Tribal Pride
by solitaryloner
Summary: For Overlord Valkyrie. Amazons are fierce, elusive warrior women who believe that men are inferior to them, and most of them do not believe in the concept of love. Love is seen as weak and foolish by them. They capture men and use them as slaves - but what if one day, two of them fall into a trap set by men instead? Main pairing KaitoxRin, side pairing is ReiXMikuXLen.
1. Chapter 1

_**Solitaryloner: **__I'm not very sure if there's such a word as 'warrioress', but I don't want to keep putting 'female warrior' because the Amazons...well, I don't think they'd do that. So warrioress it is._

_This story is set in the past, back when people still used bows, spears, daggers, etc etc...and there was no such thing as GPS or phones or whatever. In other words, it's an Alternate Universe!_

_Main pairing of this story is RinXKaito, the side pairing is LenXMikuXRei. First time I'm doing a fic with someone other than Miku as a main female character, so...wish me luck!_

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Rin Kagamine shot her friend and fellow warrioress, Miku Hatsune, a _look. _And they both knew exactly what that _look _meant. With a sigh, they both turned and headed back in the direction of the Amazon camp, hating having to leave the wild forest - but it was getting late, and they had to get their prey back to camp.

''I wonder when is the next time we'll be allowed to go for hunting duty,'' Miku puffed out her cheeks, her long green hair still in perfect silky condition despite the perspiration on her face. Rin felt a brief stab of envy that her friend had such excellent hair - but she quickly quelled it. That was not the thought of an Amazon.

In actual fact, Miku's hair was odd, for an Amazon. Most Amazons kept their hair short, so it wouldn't get in the way when they went hunting, but Miku insisted on leaving it long, and now it hung in straight curtains around her waist. Her hair was a unique shade of teal.

Rin's hair was blonde and short, barely brushing her shoulders. ''I hope we can go out tomorrow,'' she mumbled. ''I hate being in charge of teaching the kids how to fight.''

Miku made a noise of agreement. It was annoying, having to train little kids how to fight. Amazons first learnt how to wield weapons such as daggers and spears at the young age of five. By eight, they had usually mastered the art of melee combat, and moved on to long-range weaponry such as bows and arrows.

By twelve, Amazon warrioresses could hunt their own food, and were known, but not feared, for their fighting ability. Not yet.

When they were sixteen, they became of age in Amazon eyes, and they were then assigned tasks to do about the camp. Rin and Miku were huntresses who, amongst other jobs, brought back food for the rest.

When they were eighteen, like Rin was, they were expected to occasionally help out with the training of the younger ones, even if they weren't instructors. Miku, who was younger at age sixteen, wasn't at that stage yet. Lucky for Miku, because Rin hated that job.

From young, Amazons were expected to fend for themselves. They were nursed by their mothers until they were three, then placed under the care of the whole community. Five year old Rin had taken interest in the three-year-old Miku, though, and they had become fast friends, training and practising together.

Miku was a fast learner, and exceptionally skilled for her age. She was an excellent fighter and huntress, and the whole tribe expected her to be the future candidate for Queen of the Amazons in the future...especially because her mother was the current Queen. An Amazon could only become Queen by challenging the current Queen to a duel, then defeating her.

The Queen Amazon cared for her daughter greatly, and rarely allowed Miku to go out and hunt. Though that happened to be Miku's job. Rin knew that it frustrated Miku no end, to be forever cooped up in the camp with nothing to do. Miku was lively, impulsive - she got bored easily, and she hated being still.

In fact, Miku could be rather careless. And very reckless. Which was why Rin always kept a lookout for the younger girl, to make sure that nothing happened to the warrior princess.

Miku cast the carcass of the deer she was carrying over her shoulder a distasteful glance. ''It's all tough...probably an old deer,'' she mumbled. ''Maybe we should set this aside for the younger ones...the others can hunt their own.'' Rin nodded in agreement.

''Miku, since your mother refuses to allow you out of the camp all that much...then what about you change your job? There _are _other jobs which allow you to leave camp without having to go too far...like looking for herbs.''

''That's boring,'' Miku complained. ''And anyway, I like being a huntress. The only other job I would consider is _yours, _Rin. It's the only job that's more fun than hunting.''

Rin stiffened. ''You're not old enough,'' Rin reminded her. ''And anyway, there's nothing wrong with hunting food. I'm a huntress too, and I hunt prey...just like you do.''

''But your prey is different,'' Miku pouted. ''And it must be interesting to capture something that can actually put up a fight, for once. When is the next time you're leaving?''

''I don't know,'' Rin hesitated. ''I mean, it's not like we're short on slaves or anything...are we?'' she mumbled, cocking her head. ''Your mother would have mentioned something.''

''She didn't, but I'm curious. I want to come along, the next time you go on a hunt,'' Miku announced, turning her large emerald eyes upon her. ''Please, Rin?'' those eyes sparkled with an irresistible innocence that Rin had seen enough times to know was faked.

But despite that, Rin couldn't help but give in to the younger girl. ''You're terrible, Miku,'' she sighed. ''You can come along, but only if you agree to protect yourself. We don't need to have anyone hindering us. Understood?''

Miku nodded eagerly. ''So...your next run...is it tomorrow?'' she hinted, nudging Rin's side. Rin laughed and shook her head regretfully - she didn't understand why Miku was so interested in her job. Rin found it necessary, but given a choice she would prefer not to do it at all.

Men were inferior to the Amazons. Amazons were strong and lithe. Nimble. They were one with the forest, and they had no need for any male dominance or influence. There were no men at the Amazon camp, save for some which were utilised as slaves...in terms of labour and otherwise.

Without those men, the Amazons would die out too. Rin shuddered lightly - whenever new slaves were captured and sent back to camp, she saw Amazon warrioresses, warrioresses which normally knew each other as sisters, fighting against each other to win one of the captured men as their personal slaves. Both sexually and in other, more menial ways.

Rin never intended to have children. There had been once, when she had thought herself in love with one of the boys who had been captured to be sent back to camp. She had fought for him, had won the right to have him all to herself, and then he had used her affections for him to run away and escape the camp.

He had whispered sweet nothings into her ears, had seduced her, then run away without casting a single backwards glance. She had truly loved him, had trusted him, and he had broken her heart. Rin never trusted men anymore, now.

That was one reason she wasn't as fond of her job as others were. What Rin and a select group of other huntresses did was, when they weren't hunting for food, they roamed their forest domain, hunting men and sending them back to their camp to serve the Amazons. The other huntresses enjoyed that - Rin didn't.

The huntresses were chosen based on hunting ability, and how fast and nimble, how stealthy they were. Rin was good enough to be placed in this elite group of huntresses, but she wished that she wasn't inside.

''You really want to come with me? I tend to separate from the rest of the group when I hunt. It's faster, and quieter that way. But it's more dangerous, too.'' Rin warned the girl. If, on the chance she was overpowered, she couldn't afford to let the princess be caught.

''I know it's dangerous,'' Miku's green eyes glinted with unyielding light. ''But I understand that. I can protect myself, Rin. And it wouldn't be fun if it wasn't dangerous, anyway.''

Rin sighed at the obstinate girl. ''If you insist. Naturally, you must obtain the Queen's permission first. Do you really think she'll allow you to go, though, Miku?''

Miku snorted. ''It's for experience,'' she argued. ''And I'll try to convince Mother of that. She won't deny me this, I'm sure,'' her voice rang with confidence, and once again Rin sighed. _No one can stop the warrior princess when she insists upon something, not even the Queen._

''You're really set on this, aren't you?'' Rin teased. ''Aren't you too young to think of...you know...getting a slave?'' she winked.

Miku flushed. ''I just want to see how you capture the slaves! There's no way I'm interested in men that way! Disgusting.''

''Without men, there wouldn't be us. We wouldn't have children, and we would die out,'' Rin lectured. Miku stifled a yawn, looking bored. Well, that didn't surprise Rin - Miku had always been more interested in action than theory. When young, Miku had hated learning about herbs and prey, but she had loved learning how to hunt and fight.

''Whatever,'' the warrior princess mumbled, clearly disinterested. ''Anyway, I'm just curious. Are men really all that inferior?''

''I don't know, that's something you have to judge for yourself,'' Rin shrugged. Miku nodded silently, seeming as though she was deep in thought, and in silence the both of them trekked the rest of the way back to camp.


	2. Chapter 2

''But I want to go! Two years is a long time, Mother, and I want to see how they do it. Is it really so wrong for me to want to improve myself and my abilities?'' Rin could hear Miku's voice, drifting throughout the camp.

''There's nothing wrong in that, that's true,'' her mother, the Queen of the Amazons, answered calmly. ''But it's dangerous, Miku. Even though they're just men, they can still put up a great fight, and I cannot risk you getting hurt.''

''Do you doubt my ability to fight, Mother?'' Miku demanded. Curious, Rin stuck her head out of her small hut, watching Miku argue with the Queen in the middle of the Amazon camp. They certainly were attracting a great deal of attention - some of the other Amazons were watching too, wondering what the warrior princess wanted, and what her mother was denying her.

Everyone knew that the Queen loved her headstrong daughter, and it was rare for her to be denied anything. Unless it came to one of Miku's usually reckless plans. Then requests for those to be carried out were usually denied.

''It's not that I don't think you can fight,'' the Queen explained patiently. The Queen of the Amazons, Meiko Sakine, was imposing and lithe - she awed most of the Amazon warrioresses, and no one who looked at her would expect her to care so much for her daughter. ''But I would prefer that you not be put in danger.''

Tall and lithe, with glossy chestnut hair cut into a sleek bob and vivid crimson eyes which intimidated anyone foolish enough to stand up to her, the Queen was revered and respected by all the Amazons for her just ways and her fairness. She wasn't biased or proud, and she worked for the good of her warrioresses.

Miku's eyes narrowed. ''If I had been anyone other than your daughter, you would have let me go, wouldn't you?'' she folded her arms, glaring down at the ground. Her teal-coloured hair swung around her hips as her lower lip stuck out, trembling.

Rin knew she was going to use the full force of her irresistible innocence on her mother. Miku, though she was a fierce huntress and fighter, was also one of the most adorable Amazons in their whole tribe, looking more like an angel than a fighter. All of the Amazons, Rin included, had a soft spot for her.

Nevertheless, the Queen remained impassive. ''It's not just because you're my daughter, Miku Hatsune. It really is dangerous, and I don't want to risk any single one of my Amazons. You can go when you're eighteen.''

Amazons took on the last names of their fathers. It was the only male influence there was, in the whole camp, and Rin suspected it was because if the daughters took their mother's name, all the Amazons would somehow end up with the same last name.

Strangely, all Amazons were born as girls. She had never heard of a son being born to any of the Amazons, and she wondered what would happen, if such a thing were ever to occur.

Miku's green eyes widened, and she shot her mother a dark look before whirling around and running out of the camp. Her mother called after her, but Miku paid no heed, disappearing into the thick forest. Concerned for her headstrong friend, Rin instantly went before the Queen, bowing in deference. ''I'll look for her, Meiko. Don't worry.''

''if it won't trouble you too much, Rin,'' the Queen smiled a relieved smile. ''Then I thank you. Please bring Miku back before she does anything foolish.'' Meiko didn't sound too worried, and to be honest neither was Rin.

They both knew Miku could look after herself, but Rin didn't think it was a good idea to let the impulsive sixteen-year-old roam the forest by herself, especially not while she was upset.

Rin nodded in response to the Queen's request. She would do that anyway, even if the Queen had not asked her to...because Miku was her friend, and she was concerned for her. Sighing, Rin ran out of the camp, after the petite teal-haired girl. Where could she have gone?

Rin perked up as she heard the distant sound of a twig cracking, and an uttered curse. She followed the sound, knowing it could only be Miku, and soon enough she had caught up with the younger girl, who was crouching behind a thick shrub, angrily torturing a beetle with a short wooden twig.

Her green eyes flicked up to meet Rin's blue ones, and she didn't look very enthusiastic. ''Did my mother tell you to bring me home?'' she mumbled, prodding at the helplessly overturned beetle once more with her stick.

''She did,'' Rin paused, noticing the unhappiness in the younger girl's eyes. She knew what Miku thought about her life. Miku felt that she wasn't treated like the other Amazons, that she was always told to remain behind in camp just because she was the Queen's daughter. And she found all that incredibly unfair.

And Rin agreed with how Miku thought. Forcing her to stay in camp, even if it was for her own protection, wasn't what the princess wanted. She wanted to be treated like the others, not coddled and restrained just because of her bloodline.

''We don't have to go back now, okay?'' Rin crouched down too, so she was at the same level as the slender huntress. Miku's eyes flickered with surprise, then happiness and a little hope. She nodded eagerly, casting a glance at the wild forest beyond.

''I want to hunt,'' she announced, absently fingering the dagger strapped to her side. Rin smiled, then rose and held a hand out for the younger girl to take.

''I don't see why not,'' she agreed softly. Miku stared at Rin's outstretched hand for a while, then tilted her chin defiantly, fiery determination blazing in those emerald eyes.

''I can stand on my own,'' she said proudly, doing just that. Rin felt a smile flicker across her lips, disappearing before the princess could notice. Honestly, she found Miku's stubborn, independent streak rather amusing. She withdrew her hand.

''Let's go,'' Rin put a finger to her lips. ''We don't want to scare off all the prey. Hopefully, we can catch a deer. Or a stag, even. Stags are bigger than deer. Or maybe a wolf.''

''Wolves don't taste good,'' Miku mumbled, wrinkling her nose in distaste. Nevertheless, she followed stealthily after Rin, wordlessly obeying the older huntress as she gestured which direction to go.

They split, after a while. Rin went in one direction, while Miku took the other fork. Rin looked around her area for a while, but noticed that there wasn't any good hunting to be found, so she went back to wait for Miku at the spot they had separated.

Miku came back eventually, but her face was flushed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Rin frowned, wondering what the girl had seen - she wasn't carrying any prey. ''Miku?''

''I saw a man!'' she whispered excitedly. ''He's sleeping, in a clearing over there,'' she pointed in the direction she had came from. ''You can catch him and bring him back to camp! And I'll get to see how you do it!''

Rin hesitated. ''I don't have my rope, Miku. I won't be able to restrain him enough to carry him back to camp. Especially not if he awakens...'' her voice trailed off.

Miku grinned deviously. ''I have rope,'' she announced, patting her back. With a flourish, she pulled out a long knot of thick rope, looking proud of herself. ''I took it while I was passing by the weaponry area.'' Her gaze turned pleading. ''Please, Rin? I want to know...''

Rin gave in. ''Fine. But just this once, okay?'' she hissed at the younger girl. Miku beamed and nodded frantically, dragging Rin down the path before she could give in to common sense and change her mind.

Eventually, they reached the clearing Miku had been talking about. There was a boy there, who looked about Miku's age. Not a man, but a boy. Teenage, like themselves. He was sleeping, as Miku had said, and he was handsome...not that Rin cared. He was just quarry to be chased.

With his feathery blonde hair, tied up into a messy ponytail, he reminded Rin strangely of herself. She wondered what were the colour of his eyes - perhaps they would be blue, like hers. She grinned - it would be like capturing a long-lost twin, if they really looked that alike.

Miku nudged her. ''So what do you do now, when you see your target?'' she whispered. Rin glanced at her, still wondering whether this was actually such a good idea.

''Well, you just secure him with the ropes and run off with him before he wakes up. Since he's sleeping, it really is that simple,'' Rin wrinkled her nose. ''Do you want to try? You might prove to your mother that you can handle this.''

Miku brightened, and instantly Rin regretted saying those words. She shouldn't have made that offer - if Miku ended up in trouble, Rin would be so dead. ''Okay!'' she chirped enthusiastically, snatching the rope from the ground and lightly leaping into the clearing. Rin watched, filled with worry.

Miku crept closer to the boy. Now that she was closer, she noticed that his features really were finely-formed, much like a girl's. Strange, with his feathery blonde hair and delicate features, he reminded Miku of Rin.

She turned to stare at her friend, and Rin waved her forward, mouthing at her to hurry. Miku hesitantly stepped closer, not very sure how she was supposed to do this. How was she supposed to tie him up enough that he couldn't escape, yet without awakening him?

When she finally reached his side, she could see the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, and she paused. Okay, how was she supposed to tie him up without waking him?

Lightly, she touched his shoulder, and instantly his eyes flew open. They were the same cerulean colour as Rin's, and she froze, unable to react as those eyes pierced hers. Damn. He hadn't been sleeping! He smiled at her, a smile filled with relish.

''I didn't know the Amazons were so pretty,'' he purred, voice silky and soft. ''This wait was worth it, I think...'' his fingers gripped her wrist, the one carrying the rope, and she began to struggle, panicking.

''Rin!'' she screamed as the boy rose, pulling her close. His blue eyes were narrowed, and his grip was too tight for even her to pull away from. That startled her - weren't men supposed to be weak and inferior to the Amazons?

He snatched the rope out of her hands, and Miku reacted instinctively, sliding a dagger out of the holster at her hip using her free hand and swinging it at the boy's handsome face. He ducked, narrowly missing the sharp edge of the glittering blade, and sighed.

''You're so feisty,'' he mumbled. His other hand went for her free wrist, and Miku tugged, breaking free from him through his momentary lapse in concentration. She stared at the boy as he watched her warily, and she realised there was a knife at his hip, as well.

Where was Rin? As she thought, he suddenly sneaked up behind her, and her eyes widened. She hadn't even seen him stand - how had he managed to move so quickly? She spun away and tried to avoid him as he advanced upon her with his hunting knife, a wicked gleam in those blue eyes. She had a bad feeling that he knew exactly how to use that weapon. Effectively.

''You're really pretty,'' he tilted his head. ''I wonder if all the Amazons are as lovely as you are?'' Miku blinked at the compliment, which managed to somehow sound like a threat, and the boy moved forward, taking advantage of her brief drop in guard. Once again he caught hold of her wrist, and he yanked her close, forcing her to drop her dagger.

''I don't want to hurt you,'' he sighed, eyes flicking to the side of the clearing. ''Have you dealt with the other one, Kaito?'' he called. ''And Rei? I need your help. She's feisty.''

Other one? Rin? Fear shot through Miku, and she started struggling, just like a wild animal in the clutches of the hunter. In desperation, she tried to pry his knife loose from his grip, but then his other hand whipped out a piece of damp cloth, covering her mouth. She couldn't help inhaling the fumes, and suddenly she felt faint.

The last thing she saw before blacking out was the blonde boy, smiling down at her, his blue eyes filled with devious intent.

Rin, meanwhile, was trying to stay alive while a blue-haired boy chased after her with a long machete. She cursed at her own stupidity - how could she have forgotten to bring a weapon? She had left the camp after Miku too quickly to remember her daggers.

After Miku had went into the clearing, a blue-haired boy had suddenly dropped down behind her, nearly managing to knock her out. She had avoided the blow just in time, then had quickly sprinted away before he could catch her. And now, they were still running.

She wondered how Miku was. She had a dagger, so hopefully she was fine. Rin knew that the blonde boy wasn't really sleeping - it was a trap, set up to lure the Amazons. Though why anyone would want to capture Amazon warrioresses was beyond her.

She swerved around a tree, still fleeing. If she made it back to camp, she could report to the Queen and return with weapons to save Miku. With that in mind, she ran faster, then almost crashed into someone. There was a sound of surprise from the boy behind her.

She glanced up. A black-haired boy with golden eyes smirked down at her, then there was a sharp sting as a needle was jabbed into her upper arm. Feeling faint, she collapsed, and then the blue-haired boy behind her caught her before she could hit the floor.

She stared woozily up at his handsome face - how odd, she hadn't noticed how good-looking her attacker was, earlier. Why was she noticing it now? His navy-coloured, silky-looking hair flopped around a face with high cheekbones and full, seemingly soft lips.

The last thought she had before she fainted was that, for a male, he had the loveliest dark blue eyes, just like the sky at midnight.


	3. Chapter 3

''So...how long more will it be before they wake up? It's easier to move them when they're not awake and screaming their heads off,'' Len Kagamine tightened the last knot, effectively trapping the unconscious teal-haired Amazon. She looked young - sixteen, maybe? No older than he himself was...

His fingers lingered on the knot longer than they had to, and he pulled them away, looking up at his cousin, Rei Kagene, and his superior, Kaito Shion. Kaito shrugged, and both of them turned to look at Rei, the resident genius.

''The dosage should be enough to knock out a normal girl for half an hour,'' Rei shrugged too. ''But I don't know how Amazons are different...if their metabolism is greater than a normal girl's, then obviously a shorter time.''

Kaito stared at the two Amazons. He wondered how old they were - sixteen? Seventeen? Eighteen? He himself was seventeen, and judging from their heights they couldn't be much older or younger than he was. Or maybe they were just short. He didn't know.

One was teal-haired, and that was unique - he had never seen teal hair before. It was long, falling in one long, thick straight curtain to her waist. Even while unconscious she scowled, as though she was dreaming of killing someone in her sleep. She was feisty, no doubt.

The other was slightly smaller than her companion, which made him wonder how old she was. She was a petite, slender blonde, with short, feathery light blonde hair. She was very pretty, he noticed. Not that the other one wasn't pretty - the teal-haired girl was stunning. But the blonde...her beauty was softer, less tough and hostile than her companion.

She didn't look tough enough to be one of the fierce, renowned Amazons warriors. She looked more like a flower girl, one of those delicate young girls who roamed the open markets, selling flowers for a living.

Kaito shook his head, frustrated at himself. It wasn't the first time he had captured a beauty - but he would never get to keep her, anyway. Whoever he caught would be sent on to the payers. And Kaito never had enough money to keep any one of them for his own.

So there honestly wasn't any point in getting interested in any of the girls he caught...not even if they seemed delicate and fragile, more like a flower than a warrior. The blonde reminded him of a little pixie, petite and fun-loving. Like she would break at any moment.

''We were given two weeks to find and capture an Amazon, and we caught two on our second day alone,'' Kaito nodded, satisfied. ''I don't think we need to search anymore. So let's pack up and go back to the boss.''

''Why should we?'' Len snorted, running his fingers through his blonde hair. It was tied up in his usual small ponytail. ''I'm sick of always having to listen to the boss. We catch so many pretty girls, just to hand them over to him so he can sell them off to his clients. It's no fun.''

''It isn't supposed to be fun. This is a job, Len,'' Kaito sighed and turned to look at Rei, who had cocked an eyebrow. ''Rei. Say something.''

''I...agree with Len?'' Rei said questioningly. ''I mean, it's unfair that we work so hard and we get nothing in return. Our pay is pathetic. Since we still have twelve days left, at least let us talk to our...catch. We can return at the end of the two weeks, as agreed.''

Kaito groaned. ''You two always gang up against me. I'm your superior, you know,'' the words were said without any heat. The three of them had worked together for some time, and Len and Rei had long stopped respecting him as an elder, treating him as a peer instead.

Len smirked. ''Only because you're older. And you'll die first, for the same reason,'' he winked, and Kaito whacked him on the back of his head, half-heartedly. Len winced and pretended to faint from the blow.

Rei ignored the other two and stood there, near the two Amazon girls. And they were girls - they weren't old enough to be considered women. In their late teens, maybe? Frankly, Rei didn't care. He was going to part ways with them soon enough, and he probably wouldn't even get to know their names - but it would be interesting, to learn more about their culture.

Unconsciously, Rei stepped closer to the two girls, watching them intently. They were both pretty, but as he watched the teal-haired one, he couldn't help feeling that she was the lovelier of the two. His eyes flickered between the two of them, then he noticed the blonde's eyelids fluttering. ''Hey, she's waking up.''

Kaito and Len instantly stopped their argument and approached the blonde. She groaned softly, then her eyes snapped open. They were a startling shade of blue - cerulean blue, just like Len's. ''Who are you?'' she demanded.

Kaito blinked. Her voice was a mix of high and low - a very unique alto. He wanted to hear more of that alto tone. ''We're...men,'' he felt a little stupid for stating the obvious.

''I know that,'' the blonde gritted her teeth. ''Just because I'm Amazon doesn't mean I've never seen a man before.'' Her blue eyes narrowed, hostile. ''What do you want with us?''

Len and Rei exchanged a look, both of them turning to Kaito to see how the navy-haired boy would react. Kaito swallowed. ''Nothing too bad is going to happen to you,'' he said reassuringly. ''We're just going to pass you on to someone, then you'll marry a man or something and -''

''You're girl traffickers,'' her eyes flew open wide with shock. ''I heard of such men from the others, back in camp...where you sell girls off as brides, or as prostitutes.'' She spat at them. ''You're despicable!''

''I'm not the one carrying out the business!'' Kaito defended himself. ''We're just the employees. I don't like doing this either, but at least it's a fairly easy job and I get paid.''

''You could always get another job,'' the blonde Amazon said scathingly, eyes darting between him and the other two younger, quiet boys behind him. ''My sister Amazons will hunt you down, and you will pay,'' she said confidently. ''You don't cross an Amazon without suffering the consequences.''

''They won't find us,'' Kaito said, just as confidently. ''We're far from where we captured you, and we shift camps everyday. Your sisters won't even know where to start looking.''

''We'll see,'' the blonde smiled, settling comfortably back against the bars of the cage. She didn't struggle against the bonds, and that calm, confident smile both attracted and unnerved Kaito, at the same time.

Wait. Attracted? No. He was in no way attracted to this Amazon girl. She was an _Amazon _warrior - she'd kill him the moment he went anywhere too near her. Everyone knew about how the Amazons hated men, thought of them as useless. As nothing better than slaves.

Well, the tables had turned, for once. Now, three men had captured her and her brethren instead - her pride definitely had to be hurting. All the more reason for him to stay away from her. He had no doubt that, even though she was tied up, if he went anywhere near her she would find a way to make him suffer.

A gasp came from her direction, and Kaito glanced up, dragged out of his thoughts. The girl had somehow managed to edge herself closer to the teal-haired one, and now the blonde was nudging her friend, who was still unconscious. Her blue eyes were wild with panic.

''What did you do to her?'' the blonde hissed at the three of them. Len stepped a little closer, ignoring Rei and Kaito's warnings to back away. His blue eyes stared into hers.

''What business is it of yours?'' he smiled coldly, and the Amazon warrior snapped at him, her teeth meeting to make a clacking sound. It was a hostile gesture, and to be honest, it was rather intimidating. Despite the fact that the girl looked like a fragile flower.

Kaito could see the killing light in her eyes - this girl knew, very well, how to fight. And if she were ever to break free of her bindings, she would slit all their throats without hesitation, gladly spilling their blood onto the ground.

''The Amazons would search the whole world to find this girl,'' she hissed, eyes flashing with ire. ''You've just offended our entire tribe. Do you know who she is?'' the blonde tilted her head towards the unconscious girl beside her. ''When I break free from your pathetic ropes, I will kill you for daring to lay a single _finger _on her.''

''Who is she? And who are you? If you tell us your names, we just might consider letting you go,'' Len smirked, tilting his head to the side. Kaito stared, shocked, at the blonde, but Rei didn't react - he was used to his cousin's stupidity. Kaito shook his head, and Len shot them a look, still smirking.

''Like you would,'' the girl's eyes narrowed. ''I'm Rin Kagamine,'' she continued, not noticing Len's eyes widening, ''and this girl is Miku Hatsune.'' Rin gritted her teeth. ''The child princess of the Amazon tribe, the precious, only daughter of our revered Queen, Meiko Sakine.''

_Crap. We kidnapped the Amazon Queen's daughter? We're dead. _Kaito shook his head to get rid of the thoughts, ignoring Rei as he dragged his shocked cousin away from the cage. ''We can't release you. You'd kill us, and we're not that stupid.''

Rin smiled sweetly. ''I've always hated men,'' she said with a fervent dislike in her tone. ''Now, you just made me hate them all the more,'' she muttered, voice trailing away, staring back at her friend.

She nudged desperately at the unconscious Amazon princess, but Miku didn't awaken. Rin sighed and took a deep breath, hoping that this would wake Miku up. If it didn't, nothing else would, and Rin would be out of ideas.

''Leeks, Miku! Yummy, delicious leeks, right there, ready to eat!'' she yelled right into Miku's ear, ignoring the blue-haired boy as he stared at her, clearly wondering if she had gone mad. Well, let him think that - no one cared about his opinions, that filthy women trafficker!

Miku's emerald eyes snapped open as she sat up, expression eager. ''Leeks? Where?'' her eyes focused on the bars of the cage she was in, and then the eagerness left her eyes, slowly being replaced by a look of sheer fury.

Her head whipped around to glare at the blue-haired boy, who had blanched. ''You,'' she hissed. ''A man! Let me out of here so I can tear your head off and bathe in your blood.''

Miku could be terrifying, and extremely hostile, when she was angry. She wasn't joking about ripping his head off, either. The man paled further, if that was even possible. ''No.''

The word was barely audible. Miku grinned at him, licking her lips with relish. ''I'm going to find a way out, then I'm going to kill you,'' she sang threateningly. He shook his head.

''You're not going to escape,'' he said this coolly. ''Len made sure the ropes are bound such that no one can squirm free. And anyway, you can't pick that lock. The key's with me,'' he winked, turning away. Miku's eyes narrowed.

''You dare to trap two Amazon warrioresses in this tiny, pathetic little cage?'' she screeched, causing all three boys outside to shudder. ''You will not make it out of this forest alive.''

''Warrioresses? Is there really such a word?'' the quiet, black-haired boy spoke up, and Rin's eyes flicked to him. He seemed the quietest out of the three, and that made him semi-tolerable. Nevertheless, he was a man and her captor, and she would hate him for that fact.

''Obviously,'' Miku curled her lips into a snarl. ''And you're going to regret ever besting us. We're Amazons, and we will tear your heart out of your chest and force you to eat it before you die! Wouldn't that be yummy?''

''There's no such word as warrioress,'' the blonde boy snorted, stepping closer to the cage. He knelt down so his face was at the same level as Miku's, and Rin tensed, ready to do...something, so long as he dared harm her princess. ''You're making things up.''

''I'm not! There's really such a word, and you're just an idiot for not knowing that!'' Miku began to struggle against her ropes, but they held fast. Rin knew they would, which was why she had not bothered to try breaking free. Despite her claims, she had known the ropes were strong, and they would definitely hold her.

''There isn't,'' the boy taunted. What was his name? She didn't know, and to be frank she didn't care - she just wanted to escape. ''It's always Amazon _warrior _- I've never heard of Amazons being described as warrioresses.''

''Because you're stupid,'' Miku retorted, still trying to squirm free. Lightly, Rin nudged her.

In a low voice, she whispered into Miku's ear, ''Save your energy. And just accept that they call us warriors, not warrioresses. It makes no difference. We're still fighters.''

''But...'' Miku pouted. ''We're warrioresses! We're women! Warriors are men, and they're weak,'' she wrinkled her nose. ''Men are inferior to us,'' she proclaimed proudly. ''Why should we be labelled in the same group as them?''

''Yet three men have captured you and placed you in this cage,'' the blonde boy pointed out baldly. Miku hissed at him, furious.

''Len, enough,'' the navy-haired one sighed, dragging Len up from the ground. He cast the two caged girls a look. ''I'm Kaito Shion. This idiot's Len Kagamine, and the black-haired one is Rei Kagene.''

''I don't care,'' Rin muttered, though she was a little surprised - that blonde boy shared the same last name as she did. Strange.

Why had he told them their names? It didn't matter to Rin, either way - she hated all three of them. Even Kaito, the one with the navy-coloured hair and the sad, dark blue eyes.

Miku's eyes flicked over to Rei, and they narrowed as she stared at him. Rin wondered what she was thinking as she watched the black-haired boy. ''Leave us alone.''

Surprisingly, the three boys complied, walking away. Rin waited until they were out of earshot, then spoke to Miku. ''What do we do now?''

''Sit here and wait, I suppose?'' she growled, fidgeting in her bindings. ''I hate men,'' she announced, sounding upset. ''They're despicable, and they should all die or work as slaves.''

Rin decided against telling Miku what was going to happen to them - that they were going to be sold, like commodities. ''And yet you were watching that Rei Kagene.''

''He's interesting,'' came the short reply. ''He's the only one who hasn't said anything to offend me. Yet.'' She scowled. ''That blonde, Len Kagamine, on the other hand...''

''He's irritating,'' Rin agreed. ''Then we should rest. There's nothing we can do - the ropes won't give, and struggling will just cause our skin to chafe.''

Miku made a noise of assent and closed her green eyes, looking exhausted. She was asleep in no time. Rin, however, wasn't so ready to go to sleep. She was still too tensed up.

That Kaito Shion...he appeared to be the leader of this trio. What did he intend to do with Rin and Miku?


	4. Chapter 4

Kaito wondered whether it was right of him to leave the two Amazon warriors alone. Or was it warrioresses? Well, it wasn't important - they were fighters, and they were Amazons.

Which made them highly dangerous. He wondered if walking away from them, leaving the two Amazon girls in private, was the smart thing to do. For all he knew, perhaps they would hatch a plan to escape from their ropes - and that would be troublesome enough. If they broke free of the ropes, the chances of them escaping from the cage would be decidedly higher. What if, when their cage was opened for them to be handed over, they escaped?

No, Kaito knew he couldn't allow that. The boss would take his head off. Sighing, he closed his eyes and blew out impatiently, causing his navy coloured fringe to flutter in the slight breeze. ''We should go back and see what they're doing,'' he muttered, eyes still closed.

''And let the tealette assault me verbally?'' Len snorted. ''Right. I'm not going anywhere near those two unless it's absolutely necessary...you can go back and check if you like.''

Kaito placed his fingers at the bridge of his nose, between his eyes as he sighed in frustration. ''Rei? Please tell me you don't have anything against those two girls.''

''I don't...'' Rei said hesitantly. ''But they won't be happy to see us intruding in their personal space. It's bad enough that they've lost their dignity by being trapped like that. I think it would be better for us to leave them alone.''

''Rei makes sense,'' Len agreed with his cousin, the way Kaito knew he would. Kaito scowled at the annoying pair, turning around to face them. Len was smirking, and Rei was frowning. The two of them were as different as day and night - but they both still managed to irritate Kaito.

''Fine,'' Kaito grumbled. ''I'll go hide somewhere near them so we'll know if they have any tricks up their sleeves...that tealette happens to be the Amazon Queen's daughter, if the blonde is to be trusted. I don't think we should risk getting caught by the Amazons, so we should be on the lookout at all times.''

Len yawned, ruffling his blonde hair. ''Whatever. You're paranoid. As you said, we're far from where we had caught them. I'm pretty sure that the Amazons don't have their camp in the fringe of the forest - people would have found them ages ago, if they did. They're not going to find us, nor are we going to let them.''

''You're really confident, Len,'' Rei sighed, always the most mature amongst the trio. ''You know what they say about arrogance -''

''Arrogance is the downfall of all men, yes, I know,'' Len interrupted Rei. ''I'm not being arrogant. I'm being suitably confident in our own ability to not get caught.''

Kaito rolled his eyes as Rei began to argue with his stubborn, hard-headed cousin, then turned and walked back towards the cage with the two Amazon girls trapped inside. He just wasn't feeling safe about this whole thing, and he wanted to make sure personally that nothing could possibly go wrong in their endeavours.

Leaving the bickering pair behind, the navy haired boy strolled back to the large cage, his casual gait concealing the nervousness he felt at the thought of facing the Amazons. Though they were locked up and bound tightly, they were intimidating...every bit as frightening as people whispered they were. It made Kaito wonder, why anyone would want to catch an Amazon - then again, he wasn't a paying client.

And the Amazon girls really were pretty, he had to admit, especially the petite blonde one...he blinked, shaking his head crossly. This was just a job, he reminded himself. He couldn't afford to let himself be so distracted, even though she really was extremely...attractive.

Her name was Rin, wasn't it? Rin Kagamine? Kaito sighed again, wondering why she and Len shared the same name. Then again, Kagamine wasn't an uncommon last name - it was probably nothing more than sheer coincidence. Reaching the cage, he hid himself behind a tree so the two girls couldn't see him, then peered out behind the thick trunk to observe the two Amazon girls. What were they doing?

The teal haired one appeared to be asleep, her eyes closed again - but Kaito couldn't be sure whether that sleep was real or faked, so he didn't approach the cage. The blonde was awake though, her large blue eyes staring wistfully into the forests beyond the cage.

At once, Kaito felt guilty - it was obvious that she wanted nothing more than to leave her prison, and run around free in the forests. But all of his previous catches had wanted to be free too, so this shouldn't make any difference to him. Hopefully. He couldn't let her go - if he did, he would definitely lose his job. Or worse. He didn't think it would be so easy to catch more Amazons, to replace these two.

The boss had a client who wanted two Amazons, and Kaito would have to catch them to meet the demands of the client. It wouldn't be easy to stumble across another pair of Amazons again, and no way was Kaito letting these two go. He would be severely dealt with.

Kaito could already imagine Len and Rei's responses to his thoughts. Len would say something like, ''I never knew you were so kind-hearted, Kaito. If your heart really bleeds for them so much, you might as well be kind to all of us and give me a pay rise.''

While Rei would probably say something like, ''Don't be an idiot. Len is already a big enough moron - we don't need another idiot. And you wonder why our pay is so pathetic? It's because two-thirds of us are totally brainless.''

Kaito winced, smiling painfully. The two of them were infuriating, but at least they had their funny moments. Usually when the two cousins were fighting with each other - they were especially hilarious then. Rei and Len could fight over the most pointless things, such as who could get the last piece of chicken during dinner. These conflicts usually ended with Kaito getting injured, somehow.

Since the two Amazons clearly weren't planning any form of escape, Kaito turned to walk away, but as he did so he accidentally stepped on a twig. The twig made a loud cracking sound, seemingly deafening in the relative silence of the forest, and instantly he froze, slowly looking back at the clearing. Back at the cage. Large, icy blue eyes met his own.

''I think we should have a little talk,'' Rin called out sweetly, all the while shooting daggers at him. ''I thought of several loopholes in this marvellous plan of yours, you see.'' Kaito heaved a sigh and reluctantly walked back to the clearing. He had half a mind to ignore her and leave the huntress, but at the same time he wanted to talk to the blonde girl.

''What do you want?'' Kaito asked heavily. The girl tilted her head up to regard him with those cerulean eyes, eyes that reminded him of Len's. Rin did look a lot like Len, come to think of it.

''You're going to have to let us out of this cage some time. Or at the very least, untie us. How else are we supposed to eat? Or bathe? Unless you plan not to let us do either of that - which would be expected of people as inhumane as you are,'' she ended coolly, logically.

He blinked as her words registered in his mind. That was true - and it was something that he, and the other two, hadn't thought about yet. ''Of course we'll feed you and clean you,'' he replied hesitantly. ''But we'll find a way to make sure that you won't be able to run away from us, so just perish the thought.''

The huntress made a face, rolling her cerulean coloured eyes in disdain. ''Pervert.''

''I'm not!'' Kaito defended himself, whirling away from the cage so that Rin wouldn't see the way his cheeks had warmed. Her comment had suddenly made him wonder...what would she look like while she was bathing? ''Just stay in there and be quiet. Your voice is really irritating, did you know that? It's giving me a headache.''

''Well, then I should talk even more, then, shouldn't I?'' she replied tauntingly. ''I wish your head would hurt until you're rendered incapable of doing even the simplest tasks.'' Aggravated, Kaito stalked away from her as she began to laugh at him, semi-hysterically.

What the blonde huntress said made sense, and it was something he hadn't thought of. He would have to discuss that with Rei and Len. That was the most important matter, something which had to be seen to and discussed immediately - they simply could not risk the two Amazons fleeing.

Rin's beauty, though captivating, wasn't important enough to warrant him thinking about. But for some reason, while on the way back to where the two other boys were, that was all he could think of. Rin's bright blonde hair and her cerulean blue eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

''What did you just say?'' Len interrupted Kaito as Kaito attempted to explain their new-found problems to the other two. Rei was looking thoughtful, while Len was looking disturbed. At least, Kaito thought Len looked disturbed - perhaps to anyone else, Len would have looked...just plain perverted. Kaito knew that Len wasn't a pervert, though. Usually.

''What I said was, we're going to have to find a way to let them bathe and...you know, with us being around. Since you two are the ones who wanted to stay around for twelve more days, you're going to have to figure out how to let them bathe, without escaping from us.''

Len now looked horrified. ''So we're going to have to be around while they're showering?'' he groaned. ''No! I'll go blind!''

''You don't have to look at them while they're bathing, you pervert,'' Rei mumbled, catching his blonde cousin's attention. Len turned to glare back at him, and Rei raised his voice. ''Come on, Len. Do you really think I don't know you at all? I saw the way you were looking at the teal haired one.'' Rei folded his arms.

Did Len's cheeks just turn a little pink? Kaito watched, amused, leaning causally against a tree as he observed the two cousins launch into yet another verbal battle. Really, the duo were hilarious at times - and secretly Kaito was relieved that he wasn't the only one feeling a little...attracted to their quarry.

''I do not like that brat!'' Len yelled, pretending to gag as he said so. ''She's so annoying! All she does is threaten to kill us - how can I possibly want to see her naked? That's disgusting!''

''I never said that you liked her,'' Rei shrugged. ''You said that of your own accord. Really, I never implied anything, other than the fact that you find her attractive. So why are you so worked up right now?'' Rei ended drolly.

''She's pretty,'' Len admitted grudgingly, his cerulean eyes narrowing at his cousin. Kaito wondered if there was anything he could eat, while they argued - this was a good show. ''But it doesn't mean that I'm attracted to her. And I do not want to look at her bathing. I mean, it's not the first time we captured a pretty girl.''

The last sentence sounded faintly unsure, and Kaito turned to Rei to see how he would react. Rei smirked. ''So...if you're not attracted to her...then I guess you wouldn't want to talk to her or anything, right? So I'm free to do as I please?''

Len's eyes narrowed further at his black haired cousin. ''We're not supposed to do anything to our quarry,'' he reminded Rei, voice cold. ''It's not a matter of whether or not I want to do anything -'' At this point, Kaito decided that he had to intervene before things got ugly.

''You're both right, Len doesn't like the tealette, and Rei can't do whatever he likes to her,'' he came between the two, holding his hands out in a gesture of peace. Rei and Len instantly turned to glare at him, both of them emitting sparks from their eyes - even the normally calm and rational Rei. Kaito wondered whether both of them had issues about...Miku?

Well, he assumed that was her name. He couldn't be sure - he only could remember Rin's name. At least there wasn't anyone fighting with Kaito for Rin - he blinked. No, what was he thinking? There was not supposed to be any fighting involved! Especially not over the two Amazon huntresses. _Yes, this is the reason I'm intervening. Because they're not supposed to be fighting over her, to begin with._

''Whatever,'' both of them finally muttered, looking away from each other. ''It's just a girl, I don't see why we're so worked up over her,'' Len continued, casting Rei an expressionless look. Rei shrugged, not saying anything.

''You're right!'' Kaito exclaimed cheerfully, glad now that the conflict was over. ''After all, within twelve more days we're never going to see them again, so don't think about her...right now, all we need is to think of a way to let them bathe, without us having to watch them.''

Len made another face, but wisely didn't say anything this time. Rei cocked his head, staring thoughtfully at Kaito. His golden eyes were narrowed carefully as he considered.

''Just tie them to us,'' he mumbled. ''I mean, the ropes we bound them with are thick, so it's not easy to break free from them, not without some kind of sharp object. And the ropes are pretty long too, so we just tie them to us when they have to go and bathe. Simple.''

Kaito blinked. It was such a ridiculously easy plan, he was rather surprised that he himself hadn't thought up of it. ''That might actually work,'' he mused. ''Provided they don't kill us when we let them out of their bindings, to begin with. But I'm sure we can handle them.''

Len arched an eyebrow. ''I refuse to go anywhere near them,'' he said irritably. ''That blonde annoys me, and the teal haired one is just...'' he stuck out his tongue, pretending to gag once again. Kaito and Rei just rolled their eyes, used to the blonde boy's silly antics.

''But Len, you're the only one who knows how to tie knots in such a way that they're near impossible to break,'' Kaito spoke up, causing the blonde to scowl faintly. ''If we tie them to us, they'll just break free. We need your...expertise in this matter,'' Kaito had to struggle not to burst out laughing as he said that.

Len heaved a sigh, casting his eyes heavenwards. ''First, don't think that I can't hear the sarcasm in your voice. And secondly, Rei knows how to tie knots as well as I do,'' he wrinkled his nose. ''You can always ask him to just tie them to you.'' Rei blinked, looking startled. He stared at Kaito, then shook his head despondently. Len glared at his cousin.

''You beat me, the last time we had that knot tying competition,'' Len pointed out stiffly. Rei shrugged, and Kaito sighed as he knew that they were about to start arguing again.

''I was lucky. Your rope was flimsy and it broke, so I won by default. And anyway, that competition between us was stupid - you yourself said so. You weren't even trying your best,'' Rei retorted, sounding a little bored.

Len glared some more. ''Fine. I'll go get some rope now, and then we'll see who can tie the more inescapable knot,'' Len shot Kaito a look. ''We can practice on Kaito,'' he added, and Rei nodded, still looking bored. Kaito spluttered as Len turned, returning to their camp.

''I did not agree to this,'' he mumbled, dreading the thought of being used as a guinea pig by the two cousins. Rei shot him a humorous grin.

''Well, since when have we offered you a choice in anything?'' he asked. Kaito had to admit that the black haired boy made a fair point.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

''Len wins. Definitely,'' Kaito announced. It had been ten minutes since Len had worked his magic on Kaito, and he was still trussed up, completely helpless. The two boys were crouching in front of him, waiting for something remotely interesting to happen. Like Kaito breaking free of the rope Len had tied him up with. It did not appear to be happening any time soon, and Rei shot Len a triumphant look.

Len sighed wearily. ''Fine. I'm better at it. But I still don't want to do this,'' he muttered, reaching out to Kaito's back. Roughly, he undid the knots, and Kaito squirmed free of the coarse ropes, feeling blood circulation return to normal. Len...really was good at all this.

''Then we should return to the two Amazons and let them out for dinner or something,'' Kaito winced, rotating his shoulders. He couldn't seem to feel his fingers, they were completely numb. ''We're going to have to feed them,'' he added as an afterthought. There wasn't any need to untie them, just to give them food.

The horrified looks on Rei and Len's faces were simply priceless. ''No!'' Len protested, waving the rope he was holding threateningly. Instinctively, Kaito flinched away from the rope. No way he was going anywhere near that thing, ever again. ''You can do it, Kaito - but there is no chance in Hell I'm going to feed either one!''

''I agree with Len this time. I'd like to keep my fingers attached to my hands,'' Rei mumbled, echoing his cousin's sentiments. Kaito sighed, rising from the ground and stretching. Ah, his fingers were starting to tingle - it was good that they were no longer as numb as earlier.

''If I give you an option between the blonde and the tealette, which one would you rather take charge of?'' he asked bluntly. Len and Rei thought, their foreheads creasing slightly.

''Can I not make a choice?'' they both asked, at the same time - further proof of exactly how similarly they thought, at times. Kaito shook his head, his lips setting into a stubborn frown. He was not backing down from this pair, not this time. He had given in before far too many times, which was why they thought it was perfectly fine to just walk all over him.

''I'll take care of Rin. The blonde. You two can go and look after Miku, then, since you're both so indecisive. And no, no arguing. I'm your superior, and you have to listen to me. I'm not relenting, not on this,'' Kaito warned. The two boys gaped up at him, seemingly speechless, and inside he felt strangely triumphant.

It was the first time they hadn't fallen over laughing when he tried to tell them to do something. Finally, Len and Rei glanced down at the forest ground, nodding. The childish sulk on their faces told Kaito that he was going to be in some trouble later - but for now, he was so pleased that he had got his way, for once, that he completely ignored their furiousness.

''Let's go to them, then,'' he said cheerfully, setting off in the direction of their own camp to pick up some food, before going back to the two huntresses. Sullenly, Rei and Len followed him, and Kaito wondered about something...

Did they find anything about his behaviour suspicious? Because he realised that he didn't want them to know...that he was attracted to the blonde Amazon. It would be oddly embarrassing - God knew what Rei and Len would do with that little tidbit of information.

And another question - why were Len and Rei so tensed at each other about Miku, exactly? It was one of the worst arguments he had ever seen Rei and Len engage in. Normally, they were fairly good-natured, and their arguments ended quickly, with both of them compromising. Kaito didn't know what would have happened if he hadn't stepped in to intervene, this time.

Was it possible that they were attracted to Miku, the way he was to Rin? Quickly, he shook his head at the thought - no way Len and Rei liked the tealette. They had made that much obvious...Miku was pretty to them, but they wouldn't be attracted to her. Which was good, because if they did like her, it would make the handover twelve days later much more complicated. Kaito wasn't looking forward to it - he wanted to keep Rin around a little more.

Which was why they were not supposed to be attracted to their quarries. At least he was only physically attracted to Rin, so this should be easy enough to handle. If it were him alone. He sincerely hoped that Len and Rei weren't facing the same problems as he was.

But they shouldn't be...right? He was probably thinking too much into things, as usual...or that was what the irritating pair would say. He knew them that well. No, there was no way Len and Rei would fall for their own kidnapped victims. The both of them knew how to separate their work from emotions...unlike Kaito.


	6. Chapter 6

Rin nudged the sleeping tealette next to her, as she watched the trio who had trapped them making their way over to their clearing. Miku mumbled something about leeks in her sleep, before she stirred, her eyelids fluttering.

Rin couldn't hold back a smile. Like the rest of the Amazons, she held a soft spot for the little Amazon princess, and she would die to keep the Queen's daughter safe. Miku yawned cutely, her pink lips parting into a little 'O' shape, before her eyes blinked open, a look of slight confusion in their forest green depths. She stared at Rin, who stared right back at her curiously.

''Are they coming back?'' Miku whispered, pouting as she suddenly recalled the situation they were stuck in. Rin nodded tersely, her eyes flicking to the three boys. Her teeth gritted in frustration, though she still didn't try to break free of her ropes - there was no point in doing that. Struggling against her bonds would help with nothing, other than chafing her skin.

''I think they're carrying food,'' Rin whispered, her eyes narrowing as she noticed that the navy haired one, Kaito, appeared to be holding something in his hands. ''If it's for us...don't take any first. I'll try some. Just in case it's drugged. If anything happens to me, then don't eat the food, okay?'' Miku nodded in assent. Of course, Rin assumed that their hands would be untied to let them eat the food.

Contrary to what she thought, however, that didn't appear to be the case. When the three of them reached their cage, Rin was waiting, her blue eyes narrowed. Miku was pretending to be asleep, though she was actually watching what was going on. Kaito really was holding on to two plates of food, Rin noticed - wordlessly, he handed one plate over to Rei, who just rolled his golden eyes and took hold of it.

''Let me guess. The food is spiked with some kind of drug,'' Rin said snappishly, tossing her head in disdain as she regarded the plate of food in Kaito's hands. Her stomach grumbled at her, but she ignored it, reminding herself that these men were her enemies, and she couldn't just eat whatever they gave her. ''You'd like to knock Miku and I out until...until you hand us over to whoever is paying for us, right?''

Kaito sighed, crouching down before her. His intense blue eyes captured her gaze, and she suddenly found that she was unable to look away from his penetrating stare. ''We don't intend to drug either one of you,'' he murmured. ''But I can't very well just let you two starve. So I'm feeding you. But I won't untie you, because as you know, we're not going to do anything which will risk either of you escaping.''

Rin drew back, a scornful look on her face. ''Wait. If you're not going to untie us...surely you're not going to feed us, are you?'' she stared at the navy haired boy in disbelief. Next to her, Miku twitched, and out of the corner of her eyes Rin saw Len and Rei turn to stare at her. Rin's eyes narrowed - she wasn't going to let either of them do anything to harm her princess.

''Obviously we're feeding you,'' Kaito said in a matter-of-fact kind of way. ''Then how else would you be able to eat, without your hands free? And no, we're not going to untie you. There's no need for us to untie you in order to feed you. So do perish the thought of escape.''

Rin glared back at the calm looking boy. ''And what would you do should we not want to eat?'' she snapped, her gaze once again flicking back to Miku. The teal haired princess was frowning, a thoughtful look on her face...even though she was supposed to be sleeping. Rin supposed that Miku needed one or two lessons on acting.

''Force-feed you. Well, at least, I was going to do that at first. But then I decided that I should just leave the food out here until you give in,'' Kaito held the plate nearer to her cage, and Rin's stomach growled again as the delicious smell of roasted meat wafted to her nose. Her mouth threatened to water - it smelled so good. And she was rather hungry, after all...

Miku twitched again as the smell of roasted rabbit drifted over to her nose, and Rin watched as Rei's golden eyes narrowed, looking suspicious. Miku wasn't doing a very good job of pretending to be asleep. Not if the suspicious stares the black haired boy kept shooting her were any indication. Rin wanted to sigh.

There was no point in starving herself. She needed her strength, anyway. Either way, she was going to stay stuck in this cage - might as well take some of the food. ''Fine. I'll eat,'' she glared up at the navy haired boy. ''But I want to eat by myself,'' she added. ''I'm not a cripple, and there's no need for me to be fed by you.''

''Ah, but then we're not going to do anything to risk letting you get free,'' came the smooth reply. Rin resisted the urge to snarl back at the offending boy - ugh. She detested men. ''Either you let me feed you, or you don't get any food,'' he cautioned her, before smiling brightly. ''Now say ah!'' he held out a fork, on which a piece of roasted meat had been speared. Rin frowned.

Feeling incredibly embarrassed, and a little ashamed of herself, she leant forward, sullenly opening her mouth. He let the roasted meat drop into her mouth, and suspiciously she chewed on the meat, letting the delicious flavours soak into her mouth. It tasted so good. Or maybe she just thought that because she was hungry. Either way, she almost didn't mind being fed by the infuriating kidnapper...

Said kidnapper was handsome, she had to admit it. Another reason why she didn't really mind being fed by him. Even though he had abducted her, she couldn't help but notice how good-looking he was - even more handsome than the boy she had once thought herself in love with. This boy's eyes were so blue, blue like the ocean her mother had always told her stories of, after a long day of hunting practice.

His eyes were so blue that she wondered whether she would be able to drown in them. Like the way people drowned in the sea. He was an attractive person, and she couldn't bring herself to truly mind that he was feeding her, even though he was a women trafficker, and even though it was rather embarrassing -

No, she minded. She definitely minded. He was annoying, and he was now robbing her of all her dignity. And he was a filthy women trafficker! What a jerk. A glare returning to her face, she leant forward again. Kaito let his fork, with the meat, come near her lips, and she jerked forward, eating the meat. But this time her teeth closed over the fork, refusing to release the metal. Kaito blinked at her.

When she had reached forward to bite off the meat, there had been a light blush on her face. And he hadn't been able to focus on anything else, other than that blush. It made her look adorable. But now, as she glared up at him, refusing to release the fork, he realised that he couldn't get distracted by her cuteness. She looked cute, but inside she was a demon. Lightly, he tugged at the fork, but was still unable to wrest control of it from her.

''You know, if you do that, I can't feed you anymore,'' he said hesitantly. Rin smirked, her teeth still clamped tightly around the metal. Her gaze flicked up to meet his confused one. He was staring down at her like she was insane.

Kaito again couldn't help but focus on how cute she was, looking at him with that daring expression on her face. It was like she was telling him to go and do something. Like leave her alone. But he didn't want to leave her alone, not at that moment. She was just so...adorable. He couldn't think of any other word to describe her. Adorable and fragile, like a little pixie.

''That's sort of the point,'' she said smugly, through her teeth. But because she was still biting the fork, Kaito was unable to understand her. The two of them began a tug-of-war as Kaito struggled to wrest back control of the fork. The commotion finally 'woke' Miku up.

Her eyes blinked wide open as she witnessed her senior huntress and the navy haired man fighting over a fork. Rin was biting one end, while Kaito was clinging on to the other. She stared at them, unable to believe what her eyes were saying, but then her gaze landed on the plate of roast meat that Kaito was holding, and she felt drool building up in her mouth.

She was starving. Looking away from the pair, she watched the clearing, wondering where was her share - and then her gaze clashed with a golden one, eyes the colour of honey. Rei Kagene had his eyes narrowed at her as he crouched before her, holding a plate similar to Kaito's in one hand, a fork in the other. She blinked at the meat, then at him, and she felt her lips tilt downwards into a frown.

''You're not a very good actress,'' Rei said bluntly, spearing the meat with the fork. ''Any fool could tell you were just pretending to be asleep...'' Using the fork, he beckoned her closer, and Miku found that her eyes were strangely fixated on the meat. Unable to resist the tempting aroma of the roasted meat, she leant just a little bit closer, opening her mouth wide in anticipation. Food. She wanted food.

Rei let the fork enter her mouth, a look of dejection in his golden eyes. ''You know, I can't believe I'm doing this,'' he muttered, sounding sullen. ''Feeding you, when I have other things to do with my time,'' his eyes flicked over to Kaito and Rin. They were still fighting over the fork - Kaito had resorted to using two hands now. The blonde huntress had still not let go of the fork. How strong were her teeth?

Miku apparently ignored him, munching happily on the food. He stared at her, then sighed again, spearing another piece of meat with the fork. At least she wasn't giving him any trouble, not like how Rin was giving Kaito. He supposed that he should feel rather thankful for that. He watched the teal haired Amazon as she closed her eyes, savouring the taste of the meat.

He felt his face warm, just a little, as he noticed just how pretty she was. The thoughtful contemplation on her face...she looked so cute. Rei blinked as he realised what he was thinking - cute? No. This tealette wasn't cute at all. She was a menace to his mental health and sanity. There was no way in which he found her cute. Attractive, maybe, but she was not adorable.

''Rabbit,'' Miku swallowed, then opened her mouth to say the word. He blinked at her. ''It's rabbit,'' she smiled to herself, her green eyes snapping open as she nodded, satisfied. ''I like rabbit,'' she added absent-mindedly.

_She's so cute..._Rei blinked, then looked away from her, staring at Kaito and Rin instead. His cheeks flushed as he avoided Miku's gaze. Why was he thinking about her that way? She was nothing but quarry. And they did not become attracted to quarry. It was as simple as that. This attraction would just make the handover, at the end of two weeks, more difficult.

''Do you want more or not?'' he waved the fork, sounding uncharacteristically snappish as his frustration leaked out into his voice. Miku's green gaze snapped back to him, her eyes narrowing in hostility - secretly, he smiled. He was more used to this anger from her, than that strange dreaminess she had shown earlier. He didn't know how to react to that softness.

''I hate you,'' she spat, but then her eyes fixed on the meat, and her bad mood instantly melted away. ''I want more rabbit,'' she licked her pink lips, staring hungrily at the plate he was holding. He sighed, swallowing, then stabbed another piece of meat, bringing the fork closer to the girl's mouth. She bit, again savouring the taste of the rabbit, her eyes closing in bliss.

She seemed like she was trying her hardest to ignore him. Well, he could ignore her too. No one was going to pay attention to how adorable she was, with her eyes closed like that...Rei wanted to slap himself. He really had to stop focusing on the way she looked. She was just a girl, he reminded himself. A pretty girl.

Kaito glanced across at Rei, who was staring, seemingly in a trance, at the tealette he was supposed to be feeding. Miku had her eyes closed as she ate the rabbit, and Kaito noticed the look of...want in Rei's eyes as he stared at her. Kaito blinked in surprise, his grip on the fork loosening, and with a cry of victory Rin lunged back, tearing the fork out of his grasp.

He reached out for it, annoyed, but the blonde shook her head, still gripping the fork with her teeth. ''Only if you admit that I win,'' was what her stare seemed to say. It was a stare of self-satisfaction, and Kaito rolled his eyes. Technically, he could just refuse to feed her, but then he would be scolded if the huntress was delivered to the client in an unhealthy condition. And Kaito did not like being scolded.

''Whatever, you win. Now return me the fork,'' he grumbled. Rin rolled her eyes back at him, then leant forward so that he could snatch the fork away. She was grinning in triumph.

''You can't best an Amazon, even if we're trapped in a cage,'' she said sweetly, her blue eyes blinking innocently up at him. Kaito frowned at her, stabbing viciously at the meat with the fork he had finally regained possession of. What an infuriating huntress. In what way did he find her attractive? He didn't understand how he could possibly find this brat pretty.

Yes, he admitted that he found this Rin Kagamine strangely attractive. What he did not understand was why. Yes, she was pretty, but he had seen other pretty girls before. He hadn't felt anything, not even the slightest bit of interest for them then - why was he feeling so attracted to this slender blonde now?

As he fed her sullenly, he watched Rei and Miku. Len was watching the both of them too, but Kaito didn't pay any attention to the sulking blond boy, who was leaning against a tree at the edge of the clearing. Instead, he continued staring at Rei, whose hands appeared to be trembling a little as he fed the petite tealette. Kaito wondered at that hesitance.

Why, was Rei attracted to the Amazon huntress he was feeding? The same way Kaito was?


	7. Chapter 7

_**Solitaryloner: **I haven't touched this in a long time, either. I'll try to give all of my stories more frequent and regular updates now._

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''Why do I have to be the one to be tied to that brat?'' Len was complaining, his arms folded across his chest. Kaito just sighed wearily in response, noticing out of the corner of his eyes the way Rei's honey gaze flicked thoughtfully back and forth, between Len and the cage.

They were standing at the very edge of the clearing, close enough for them to see the cage, but too far for the Amazons to hear them talking. Even if they possessed superior hearing or whatnot. ''Look, Rei already took his turn. He fed Miku, didn't he? Since you have yet to do anything, then you'll be the one to take Miku to have her bath. Simple as that,'' Kaito spoke in a tone which invited absolutely no argument.

''You know,'' Rei spoke up, his clear voice as quiet as usual, ''if Len doesn't want to take Miku to have her bath...'' the raven haired boy hesitated at this point, making the other two turn around to stare at him. ''Then I don't mind doing so,'' Rei shrugged, staring down at the ground. ''I mean, if Len really doesn't want to...then let's not get into another argument. Again. I'll take her to have her bath, if Len isn't -''

''No, no, it's okay,'' Len interrupted. ''There's no need to trouble you at all, Rei. I'll do it.'' Kaito blinked, startled by Len's sudden change of mind - he could tell that Rei was surprised too, from the way his golden eyes snapped up, his bewildered gaze fixing firmly upon Len. Len fidgeted under the weight of their stares. ''I...I don't want to be deemed as irresponsible or whatever,'' the blond muttered sullenly.

It made Kaito wonder about both Len and Rei. Frankly, he was surprised by Rei's sudden willingness to interact with Miku. He was also surprised by how quickly Len had changed his mind, after hearing Rei's selfless suggestion. It was all rather suspicious...but Kaito decided to set that aside. The duo had never felt anything for previous captured girls before, and it was unlikely that their detachment had changed.

It was strange, how detached Len and Rei were capable of being. Kaito himself had never been as unemotional as they were, when it came to handling their catches. There was once, back in the past...Kaito shook his head, unwilling to let himself slip back into his memories. He had tried his best to forget all about that one failure in his career, and he didn't want to bring the memory back up now. It was not important.

''Fine, so Len will take Miku to the river. I'm taking Rin...but then, since you're suddenly so enthusiastic Rei, do you want to take over my duty?'' Kaito asked, semi-seriously. The dark boy flinched, shaking his head, and Kaito hid a small smile, knowing that he wouldn't have agreed. Again, that tiny suspicion he felt reared its head within him, but he ignored it. No, it was unlikely that Rei was attracted to Miku.

It was unlikely, right? Kaito could readily admit that he was very attracted to the slender blonde named Rin. But Rei would never admit that he felt anything for Miku - Kaito knew his stubborn nature well. Rei was every inch as stubborn and unyielding as Len was, and he wasn't going to let himself feel anything for their catches. It went against the rules of their job. They captured the girls, and that was all they did.

Attraction was not allowed, no matter how pretty the girls were. After all, the girls were usually sold to the highest bidder, and it wasn't like any of them had enough money to bid for them. Liking the girls they caught would be hopeless, and painful - since they would never see them again after that. Kaito sighed...so he was being an idiot here. As usual. Curse that damned attraction he felt towards Rin!

He started towards the cage in the clearing, wanting to just get this over and done with, as soon as possible. He was not looking forward to untying the two Amazons - he had no idea if he, and Len, would be able to restrain them from breaking away and running off. Kaito ran his fingers agitatedly through his navy coloured hair, unwilling to face the thought of failure. Determinedly, he set those thoughts aside.

Len was trailing reluctantly after Kaito as his senior made his way towards the cage, in the middle of the clearing. Honestly, he wasn't exactly looking forward to doing this, what with the whole bathing thing. There was a risk that he might end up seeing the Amazon tealette completely naked or something, and Len didn't want to go blind or anything like that, thank you very much. Annoyed, he gritted his teeth.

But then, when Rei had offered to take Miku for her bath...well, Len hadn't been very happy about that. Something in him had snapped at the very thought of Rei getting his hands on Miku, and so he had jumped in, unwilling to let his cousin take over his job. Not that he wasn't regretting his impulsive words now. _Ugh. I should have just agreed to let Rei take over. What have I gotten myself into, this time?_

It was just...he didn't know. Earlier, when he had been watching Rei feed Miku...some kind of emotion had risen within him. But the thing was, he wasn't even sure what kind of emotion it was. He had never felt anything like this before, and honestly he didn't like it. This was all confusing him, making him very unsure about what to think. And if there was one thing that Len could not stand, it was confusion.

Len's gaze flicked up as he looked at the teal haired girl, trapped in the cage. She was clearly restless, talking animatedly to her companion. The blond Amazon was nodding patiently, wearing a slight smile on her face as she listened to her companion chattering away. Len felt a little pang as he watched the sight - but he didn't understand what that pang meant, so he ignored it, instead swiftly looking away.

His gaze went back to meet Rei's golden one. Rei was staring blankly at Len, and Len couldn't tell what was the emotion he could see, in his cousin's normally impassive gaze. The blond wondered briefly whether he should worry about that, but then he decided not to. After all, he was sure that there was nothing wrong. It wasn't like either he or Rei felt anything but irritation towards the tealette. Right?

Len realised with a start that he couldn't be sure...but then, he tried not to let any of his uncertainty affect him. Miku Hatsune was a brat. No one in their right mind would fancy her, no matter how pretty she was - and he was sure that Rei felt the same way about her.

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''What did you just say?'' the piercing shriek sent birds flying up into the sky, and Kaito winced, rubbing at his ears. Miku was glaring at him, a look of outrage on her pretty face. Rin, on the other hand, was just gaping at him, as though he was a dancing monkey or something of that sort. Len just sighed audibly, behind him.

''You heard him,'' the blond said bluntly. ''We're going to let you two out for a bath. But then, to ensure that neither of you can run away from us, we're going to tie both of you to us using rope so that you can't escape. Simple. Is there anything else that you'd like me to repeat?'' the sarcastic tone that Len spoke with seemed to be more directed at Miku than at Rin. Miku sensed that, and her eyes narrowed furiously at him.

Kaito ignored the two of them, instead stepping behind the cage so that he could crouch down next to Rin, untying the ropes which bound her. Once he had done that, Kaito swiftly tied the rope around her wrist, making it a very tight knot. Rin gasped as the rope chafed against her skin - he could see the red welts the rope had left on her pale wrists - but Kaito tried to quell his guilt. _I have nothing to feel guilty about._

He let the other end of the rope remain untied, for the time being. He would wind the rope around his own wrist only after Rin had left the cage. Len glanced up from where he was yelling at Miku, surprise flickering through his cerulean gaze. ''When did you finish untying her?'' he asked, not noticing Kaito's eye roll. Miku huffed loudly, and Len glanced back down at her, his blue eyes narrowing maliciously once again.

So Kaito watched Len get to work. Rin stiffened, obviously concerned as Miku began shrieking her head off. Rin hadn't given Kaito any trouble while he had been untying her ropes, and he was thankful for that. Miku, on the other hand, wasn't anywhere as accommodating as Rin was. She squirmed all over the place, trying to edge away from Len whenever he reached out to her. Kaito could sense Len's frustration growing.

Finally, the irate blond's hand clamped over the struggling tealette's shoulder, preventing her from moving away. Roughly, he undid the ropes, then just as irritatedly he bound her wrist with the coarse length. Miku turned around, her eyes narrowed as she tried to bite Len's hand. Swiftly, he moved his hand away, shooting the tealette a hostile glare in response. Kaito actually found all this very amusing to watch.

Now, assured that both Rin and Miku had the ropes attached to their wrists, Kaito drew the key out from around his neck. As he took the simple string necklace off, he could feel Rin's blue eyes piercing him, studying him while he inserted the key into the lock. The cage door was opened, and Kaito's fingers tightened subtly around his end of the rope. However, to his shock, Rin made no attempt to break free.

Unsurprisingly though, Miku was a different case altogether. While Rin calmly stepped out of the cage, Miku bolted, leaping gracefully out of her prison and attempting to flee from the clearing. Len was prepared for that though, and before Miku could get very far, Len had casually wrapped his arms around the tealette's waist, ignoring her even as she wailed and struggled, trying hard to break free from his grip.

Miku was very unhappy. Stupid boy, not letting her get away! He was strong, and even though she hated to admit it, he was far stronger than she was. His grip around her waist was like iron, and try as she might she couldn't pry his hands loose. Giving up on that method, she began to kick and flail wildly, and she heard an annoyed huff as the idiotic blond ducked her hand, which had almost smacked his face.

''Let me go!'' she let her voice turn into a weak, plaintive sob. Pretending that she was about to cry had always worked on the Amazons, and now she would see whether it would work on a man as well. To her surprise, it actually did - she felt Len's grip on her loosen a little...but it wasn't enough for her to break free from him. She pouted, but decided to sound even more miserable. ''Please...I just want to go home...''

Her sniffling was annoying herself. As if she was some kind of weak, defenceless damsel in distress. Miku was very far from that. However, instead of having the desired effect, she heard the irritating boy laugh softly. ''Stop crying, please,'' his voice was smooth and silky. ''It's just making you even more annoying than you already are...'' Miku's eyes widened, and her head whipped around as she glared at him.

Len Kagamine smiled back at her in response, his blue eyes glinting with an evil light. ''It's not going to work on me, sweetheart,'' he purred. ''I've lost track of how many times some girl has said that to me, begging me to let her go. When you're in this manner of business, it kind of numbs you to those pleas, you know?'' he arched an eyebrow. ''Besides, unlike them, yours happens to be an act. I can tell.''

''Jerk,'' Miku exhaled, trying to kick him. He held her a little further away from his body, and her foot couldn't make contact with his shin. It was then that she realised she was much smaller than him - she had to be about half a head shorter than he was. She tried to scratch at his arms with her long fingernails, and he hissed at that - but before she could continue, one of his hands whipped out, trapping both her hands.

''Just...give up,'' he gritted out. Miku tossed her long hair, making sure to get some of her hair in his face. He coughed as she did that, shaking his head to get the long teal strands out of his line of sight. Secretly, Miku smiled - it made her feel as though she had managed to obtain a victory, in her own tiny way. A consolation prize of sorts. Trying to irritate Len Kagamine just felt good...served him right, for doing this to her.

''I'll never give up trying to run away,'' she spat. ''Especially from you,'' she glanced up, meeting the navy haired boy's amused stare. Kaito, was that his name? Well, whatever. Rin was staring at her too, her lips twitching, and Miku felt her lips pressing into a pout - she didn't like being laughed at by her fellow Amazons. Kaito cleared his throat, turning to look away from Miku and Len. He had already bound Rin's wrist to his.

''Well, since now the drama is all over,'' he smiled, ''let's go to the river then, shall we?''


End file.
